Happy New Year to you! I hope that you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season and pray that 2024 is off to a good start for you! As January begins to wind down and we find ourselves deep into the season of winter, I find myself pondering both this month and season.
The Redemptorists have been part of the life of the borough of Ephrata, PA, since the early 1900’s. Arriving first as missionaries, they were soon asked to care for the Catholics of the area. Initially 13 people gathered in what is now St. Gerard’s Mansion to celebrate Mass.
The Parish Community of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn celebrated on January 17th, 2024, with a special Eucharist and Reception, the 90th birthday of Father Ruskin Piedra, C.Ss.R., and the 25th anniversary of ministry at this beloved Basilica.
Fr. Peter and I along with Fr. Chuong Cao, Vocation Director for our Denver Province, attended the SEEK24 Conference that was held in St. Louis, Missouri, January 1-5. There were over 22,000 college-age students, graduate men and women, hundreds of religious women and men, priests, bishops and two cardinals along with keynote speakers, lecturers, choir, musical groups and all sorts of vendors witnessing to the overwhelming love of God. It all took place at the St. Louis Convention Center and it was wonderful to behold.
In many of these photos we Redemptorists here in Villa San Alfonso, are receiving the Sacrament of the Church which is called THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK. Those of us Redemptorists here at Villa San Alfonso who were also ordained as priests have taken this Sacrament of the Sick to many people: here in the States, in Brazil, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.